Carol Nolan slams carbon tax, calls for action on energy crisis
Carol Nolan criticised government energy policy on 2025-09-23, arguing that high energy costs and the carbon tax are driving energy poverty and fuelling food price inflation. She urged the government to stop ideological policies like turf bans, hold electricity companies to account, and take decisive action to reduce household bills.
The speaker said the state is collecting "hundreds of millions" in a carbon tax she opposed and accused the policy of damning people to energy poverty while recycling the revenue back to households through welfare. She warned this contributes directly to rising costs across households and businesses.
The speech referenced CSO and Eurostat figures showing food price inflation well above headline rates, with food prices up 5% at a 20-month high. The speaker also cited economist Oliver Brown's calculation that food shopping costs have risen by 36% in the past four years, linking food inflation to higher energy costs.
The speaker condemned efforts to ban turf and to criminalise those cutting turf in the Midlands and on bogs in Galway, saying families have long used turf for heat and energy. She argued such policies are especially unreasonable amid a prolonged energy cost crisis.
The speaker described homes, businesses, farmers and SMEs being pushed to the brink by high electricity and gas prices, noting Ireland's electricity is among the highest in Europe and gas is about the fifth most expensive. She reported constituents attending her office distressed about lost energy credits and called for electricity companies to be summoned before an Oireachtas committee, accusing them of profiteering while people live in cold conditions.
The speaker urged the government to abandon what she called an "ideological straitjacket," detach households from current policies, and prioritise serving people over corporate interests. She demanded decisive action to reduce bills, protect vulnerable households and prevent further business closures.
Energy and carbon tax concerns
The speaker said the state is collecting "hundreds of millions" in a carbon tax she opposed and accused the policy of damning people to energy poverty while recycling the revenue back to households through welfare. She warned this contributes directly to rising costs across households and businesses.
Food price inflation and statistics cited
The speech referenced CSO and Eurostat figures showing food price inflation well above headline rates, with food prices up 5% at a 20-month high. The speaker also cited economist Oliver Brown's calculation that food shopping costs have risen by 36% in the past four years, linking food inflation to higher energy costs.
Criticism of turf bans and local impacts
The speaker condemned efforts to ban turf and to criminalise those cutting turf in the Midlands and on bogs in Galway, saying families have long used turf for heat and energy. She argued such policies are especially unreasonable amid a prolonged energy cost crisis.
Household and business impacts, and demands on providers
The speaker described homes, businesses, farmers and SMEs being pushed to the brink by high electricity and gas prices, noting Ireland's electricity is among the highest in Europe and gas is about the fifth most expensive. She reported constituents attending her office distressed about lost energy credits and called for electricity companies to be summoned before an Oireachtas committee, accusing them of profiteering while people live in cold conditions.
Calls for government action
The speaker urged the government to abandon what she called an "ideological straitjacket," detach households from current policies, and prioritise serving people over corporate interests. She demanded decisive action to reduce bills, protect vulnerable households and prevent further business closures.
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Transcript
Minister, the lights are on but for far too long no one seems to be at home when it comes to the factors that have made Irish households absolute outliers in European terms regarding the cost of energy. The state is generating hundreds of millions in a ridiculous carbon tax that I opposed and it is damning people to energy poverty only to then redirect that tax back to the people through the welfare system. That is like some Alice in Wonderland version of the circular economy and it is not just the rocketing costs of energy that is being impacted, it is one of the core contributors to the rising costs of food. Just recently the CSO released figures from Eurostat that put Ireland's food price inflation at three times the headline rate of rises in prices with food prices up 5% and this was a 20 month high. Economist Oliver Brown calculated the cost of food shopping and he came to the conclusion that it has increased by 36% in the past four years. This is now a full-blown interconnected crisis that government must respond to with unrelenting determination especially around the energy cost side of things which we know is driving a lot of the increases. We need to put aside the stupidity of efforts such as banning tarp and criminalising those cutting tarp in the midlands or on bogs in Galway. That needs to stop. Families have always used tarp for heat and energy. Imagine persisting with this in the middle of a prolonged crisis and a prolonged cost of energy crisis. It is simply beggar's belief. Homes cannot afford their energy bills. Businesses, farmers and SMEs are being pushed to the brink because of them. All the while we still have ridiculous arguments from some quarters about the bogeyman of liquefied natural gas resources, despite the energy independence that potentially exists right here on our doorstep. Government needs to cop itself on and to detach itself and Irish households from the absurd ideological straitjacket. We cannot afford the ongoing trend of Ireland's electricity being amongst the highest in Europe and our gas about the fifth most expensive. We cannot afford businesses closing and we certainly cannot afford to have our most vulnerable in society living in cold conditions. I have so many people coming into my offices in a distressed state because the energy credits are no longer there. They are concerned about how they are going to pay their bills this year. Also, I felt at the time that giving those energy credits was letting the electricity companies off the hook. Why can these electricity companies not be brought in before an Oireachtas committee? They are profiteering while people are living in cold conditions. It makes no sense. Government needs to do the right thing. Step up to the mark, serve the people and stop serving the big corporate interests of this country. Thank you.